Christmas Compassion
by His Lil' Half-Blood Princess
Summary: Severus Snape never liked Christmas because he never had anyone to celebrate with. He never gave compassion because he never got it. But one Christmas Eve, that all will change. Prequel to "Everyone Has A First".


**Christmas Compassion**

_I totally changed everything about this story when I got a huge idea! This is the prequel to my Christmas fic coming up tomorrow, "Everyone Has A First". Cheers!_

**XxXxX**

Severus looked down the empty alley with a curious glance. This was odd- was the only idiot who decided to go shopping on Christmas Eve? _Obviously, _he thought to himself. He shrugged. This made things much easier. No crowds to push through. No worries about being seen buying a Christmas present. Maybe all the other people did their Christmas shopping in Diagon Alley. There was no way he traveling all the way over there for no reason. Hogsmeade was good enough.

He started down the empty alley, trying to think of something to get Dumbledore. This was his first Christmas at Hogwarts. He felt indebted to Dumbledore in all ways. And he felt that Dumbledore definitely deserved his time and his money. So why not give him a present?

The air was extremely cold and it was pretty windy outside. Litter blew in front of him. Nothing could be heard besides the blow of the wind and the occasional laughter coming out of a pub. He sighed quietly. He never liked Christmas time. It was a time to be with family. But he didn't have a family. Even when he did, it wasn't very... happy. He hated Christmas because he was jealous of all of the people who were able to celebrate it happily. His Christmases were not filled with presents and happy memories. Christmas, for him, was just another cold, dark day in his pathetic excuse for a life.

He had a feeling that this year would be no different.

He continued to walk down the road when he heard a wail. He looked up. On a bench by the road, was a girl. She looked as though she was about his age, perhaps even younger. He eyed her warily as he continued to walk. Her hands were in her face, her filthy blonde hair falling over his face. Her clothes weren't exactly new and clean but they weren't rags either.

_Do something._

What was that? Who said that? It sounded like him, but it couldn't be!

_**What should I do?**_

_Help her. Ask her what's wrong._

_**I can't do that! I don't even know her!**_

_So? Dumbledore barely knew you and he helped you!_

_**But I asked for help. No. I won't. Leave me alone.**_

Severus ignored the nagging voice in his head and passed her right by.

But as he continued to walk along, his pace got slower. He started to feel something inside of him. What it was, he didn't know. But he felt a tinge of guilt as well. He stopped walking. If she needed help, he was the only one who could help her. Nobody else was around. He sighed angrily, turned on his heel, and walked back to her.

He looked down at her, feeling awkward. "Um..." he said, making his presence known. "Are you all right?"

She looked up at him, her brown eyes red, her face tear-stained. "N-n-no!" she whimpered. "I'm not. Not at all."

"Oh," he said. "Well, er, what's wrong?"

"I lost it!" she wailed. "I lost it all!"

"Lost what?"

"M-m-my purse! It had ALL of my money inside and I need it. I don't have anything anymore! I need to pay rent, I need to buy food, and pay for all of the medical bills I have all over my bedroom! My father- he has amagical lung cancer and he won't be recovering anytime soon! He has to get intensive treatment and now... I don't know what to do! My mother died a year ago, so I have no one to help me! I had all of my savings in there! Now it's all gone!" She started to sob again.

"Um... I hate to be rude, but why on earth would you put all of your money in your purse?"

"I know! I know, and now I'm sorry I put it all in there!" Her lips were blue from her tears and from the cold. She seemed like she would never be happy again, drowning in despair.

He put his hand in his robe pocket, jingling the coins softly. He had money. And well... he didn't need it. He was going to use it to buy Albus a present.

But there was always next Christmas.

Still, would what he had be enough to replace what she had in her purse? He hoped not. He didn't have much. And besides, maybe she didn't want charity.

"Do you need help?" he asked. That was what would decide: If she wanted it or not.

She stood up and started to wipe her tears away. "No, I'll be fine. I don't know why I even told you. It's not like you understand what it's like." As she started to walk away, he spoke.

"I sort of do. My mother died when I was young. And my father didn't work. So I had to help with rent and bills too."

She stopped then said, "Did you ever lose your money?"

He gave a small laugh. "I barely had anything to lose." He walked up to her and pulled his galleons out of his pocket. He put them in her hand. "Here. I don't need it."

"I don't take charity."

He snorted inside. Stubborn. Like him. "It's not charity. It's more like, well, a gift. Tomorrow's Christmas, after all."

She sniffled and accepted to money, putting it in her pocket. She looked up at him and gave a small smile.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," he said. She nodded at him and started back home.

**XxXxX**

_Have a great Christmas Eve, everybody!_


End file.
